As more graduates than ever arrive in the jobs market, some will have unpaid experiences that offer a vital leg-up in their career while others will do paid placements that feel like a waste of time, writes Nick Chowdrey

Graduate Marco Erzingher suspected it would take a while to get a place on graduate scheme, but figured keeping his options open would improve his odds. Yet, a year on he's struggling to get beyond the test stage, and no employer will tell him why